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Life's timekeeper
1Department of Psychiatry, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU, United Kingdom. david.neill@ncl.ac.uk
Ageing Research Reviews
|January 29, 2013
Summary
Life's timekeeper, an intracellular oscillator, regulates aging and lifespan. Its frequency influences maturation, senescence, and evolution, promoting longevity over aging.
Area of Science:
- Cellular biology
- Evolutionary biology
- Gerontology
Background:
- A synchronized intracellular oscillator, termed life's timekeeper, governs biological timing throughout life.
- This oscillator divides lifespan into distinct maturational and post-maturational phases.
- It influences the rate of development, senescence, and ultimately, lifespan.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the role of life's timekeeper in controlling aging and lifespan.
- To explore its evolutionary significance in vertebrates, particularly mammals.
- To investigate the relationship between oscillatory frequency and life history traits.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual framework based on intracellular oscillator function.
- Analysis of evolutionary patterns in relation to life history traits.
- Comparative analysis of maturational and post-maturational phases.
Main Results:
- Life's timekeeper synchronizes cellular processes and dictates the pace of aging and lifespan.
- Slower oscillator frequency correlates with prolonged life phases, increased body/brain size, and enhanced behavioral capacity.
- Faster frequency leads to reduced life phases and behavioral capacity, making it evolutionarily less favorable.
Conclusions:
- Life's timekeeper promotes longevity by extending lifespan and favoring slower oscillatory frequencies.
- The oscillator's influence on life phases explains evolutionary correlations between maturation and aging.
- This mechanism is proposed as a key factor in vertebrate evolution, driving increased complexity and longevity.
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